


cut me open and light streams out

by smallredboy



Series: protect me from what i want [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Season/Series 02, Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Dark, Dr. Frederick Chilton Being an Asshole, Gen, Misgendering, Outing, Trans Will Graham, Transphobia, Will Graham Hates Hannibal Lecter, mentioned sexual assault, other trans characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallredboy/pseuds/smallredboy
Summary: Freddie Lounds outs Will Graham as a transgender man at his trial. His stay at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane unfurls differently because of it.
Series: protect me from what i want [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615912
Comments: 8
Kudos: 126
Collections: Allbingo, Prompt Table Challenge: Clouds and Shadows





	cut me open and light streams out

**Author's Note:**

> **allbingo's people watching fest:** enemies and enmity  
>  **trans bingo:** dark tone  
>  **clouds and shadows @ creativechallenges:** imprisonment
> 
> enjoy!

Freddie Lounds comes to give her testimony, and Will doesn't expect anything out of it. He's been a little jumpy throughout the whole trial, waiting for someone to spit out  _ Ms. Graham _ , to be outed by the jury. But it hasn't happened. It's not like he's had the chance to really seal his records, so anyone could find out if they went digging deep enough.

Hannibal was the only one who knew. Because he  _ trusted _ him. Because he thought he could talk at length about the abuse he experienced because of being trans, because he though he could tell him everything and not have any of it blow up on his face. It's a wonder how Hannibal hasn't planted the seed of his  _ true sex _ somewhere, let it all blow up until it's brought up here in court.

But it's Freddie. Of course it's fucking Freddie.

"I could not find her birth records, so I do not have her real name," she starts.

His blood freezes in his veins, eyes wide open in terror.

"Whom are you talking about, Ms. Lounds?" one of the women in charge of the trial asks.

"Graham," she says. "Her medical records were easy to find, though. A bilateral mastectomy in 2004 could've been passed off as gynecomastia, of course, but the hysterectomy in 2007 makes it obvious that Will is not our murderer's true name."

He clenches his jaw and resists the urge to scream, to break down into terrified sobs as Freddie Lounds tells an entire court that he is a transgender man. It feels like his world is coming down in on itself even worse than it did when he threw up an ear, when he realized who Hannibal really was.

He can't help but look off at Hannibal. He remains impassive, but he can tell there's a slight frown in his factions. What, was he planning to out him? Did Freddie win the race?

"She is an intelligent psychopath," she continues on. "Her encephalitis has only been a cover-up, perhaps fabricated, to plead for unconsciousness."

When she finishes speaking, his lawyer stands up.

"Ms. Lounds, can you tell me how many times you have been sued for libel?"

But it's too late. The damage is done.

* * *

"Are you moving me to the women's side of the asylum?" he spits out at Chilton as he's put on a straitjacket.

"It's mostly for your own safety," Chilton says. "If you come in contact with any male inmates, after this has made the rounds, it's only a matter of time before you are sexually assaulted."

"I don't think you really care if any of your patients get sexually assaulted," he says.

(He doesn't. Back when Gideon was the hot new topic, he researched about the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. There was a lot of sexual assault involved, which never had much done to fight it. Negligence by the thousands. Frederick Chilton was too busy implanting the thought of being the Chesapeake Ripper in Gideon's head to care about if his patients got assaulted.)

"I do care if  _ you _ get assaulted," Chilton replies as they take him to the women's wing. "Would add to your  _ poor little unconscious person _ defense."

"Ah yes, because I'd definitely bring up being raped under your care in court," he mumbles, rolling his eyes.

He's exhausted, but he can't do anything about what is happening to him. He can only deal with the fallout.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Will," Hannibal tells him when he comes to visit him with Alana.

He tries to not seem angry. He tries not to ask Hannibal if he told Freddie he's trans, expecting her to bring it up at the trial so he is miserable. He knows he'll just sound delusional and it'll make Alana just roll her eyes, so he doesn't bring it up. As much as he'd like to yell at him.

"Yeah," he says, tiredly. "I was expecting it, to be honest."

Alana clears her throat. "Why did you never tell me?" she asks.

Hannibal gives her a look. Great, his only ally is the man who's framing him for his murders. Wonderful, just what he fucking needs.

"We sort of were never in a room alone together until you were at my place," he says. "I was also sort of unstable, and your 'professional curiosity' would've become a lot bigger if you knew this." He looks at her. "Are those enough reasons for you?"

Alana nods. "Yeah. Sorry. It just… took me by surprise. You really don't look it."

"Dr. Bloom, please," Hannibal says, cutting her off.

"Sorry."

He resists the urge to sigh. At least they're questioning him slightly less on his alleged murders, more focused on the fact he was born with a vagina. That's something he can deal with, at least— he's been questioned about his gender and his genitals enough to know how to maneuver around it.

* * *

"Will."

He looks up and smiles a little when he sees Beverly. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Freddie outing you," she says. "I can't imagine how it would feel if I got outed like that. It sucks that you're in the women's wing."

Beverly was out and proud at work; he wasn't. Now everybody knows, Price and all of them. It's not like he has many hopes and dreams of getting out of here, but the mere idea of them staring at him weirdly as he tries to go through the motions of work makes his insides twist. And his students, too.  _ God. _

He nods. "Yeah. But I'm making it work, I think." He pauses. "Tell me about the case."

She smiles. "I would've visited you even if I didn't have one, you know?"

He shrugs. "Maybe you would've. Still, I know that's why you're here."

* * *

When he butters up Chilton by telling him he'll be under his  _ exclusive _ care, he knows what's coming for him. But he can deal with it, as long as he's away from Hannibal and Alana. He doesn't really want to deal with them, all things considered. They didn't say anything too awful about his gender, at least— not that that's a redeeming quality when talking about the man who's framing him. 

But whatever.

"When did you know, Graham?" he asks.

No  _ Mr. _ or  _ Ms. _ , to keep it as neutral and as inoffensive as possible. No  _ Mr. _ because he doesn't really see him as one anymore, and no  _ Ms. _ because he knows it'll make him angry. 

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with my alleged murders?" he asks. "Rather than my gender?"

"They could be interconnected," he says. "All your alleged victims, except for Dr. Sutcliffe, were women. Perhaps your subconscious wanted to kill what you lost. With all those hormones and surgeries."

Will tries really hard to not look angry, as much as he can feel his veins pop, as much as he wants to somehow get out of his bindings and attack Chilton. Those violent thoughts only make him more upset at himself and at what Hannibal has made of him, but he tries to ignore it. He's fine; he's fine. "You are one shabby psychiatrist, Dr. Chilton," he tuts. "Are you going to fixate on it throughout my stay in here? Are you really going to blame it all on the fact I was born with a vagina?"

Chilton stares at him and he laughs. "It explains some things. But a lot more can be delved into without focusing on what you've done to your body."

* * *

"You know, I understand you," Matthew Brown starts, smiling at him, eyes flickering and looking right through him.. "I got sent to a psych ward for a suicide attempt. Dysphoria got the best of me."

Will blinks. "Does Chilton know?"

"Oh, he has no idea," he says. "Otherwise I wouldn't be working here. I don't think he dug into my file too much."

He hums and nods. "He's recording every conversation I have. So consider yourself fired."

Matthew laughs. "Oh, who d'you think is in charge of the recordings?" he teases.

He nods. "Ah. That makes sense. Consider yourself unfired."

He shrugs. "I wouldn't particularly mind to be fired from this place. But it's whatever." He pauses. "I was the one to kill Sykes. Before I even knew you were trans, I  _ got _ you, man."

"I didn't kill all those people," he says.

"That's what all of the guys in here say," Matthew points out. "But if you need my help with anything, I'm here for you. Any revenge or pettiness you want to enact—"

He swallows thickly. "I want you to kill Hannibal Lecter."

"Ooh, the guy who's framing you?" he perks up. "Consider it done, Will Graham."

It's one of the first times that he has been called  _ Will _ ever since Freddie Lounds outed him— it feels nice. Hannibal had called him that a few times, to reassure him, to be  _ oh I'm so supportive, please forget what I've done to you. _ It didn't work. And, well, Beverly has, too, a fair amount. He appreciates it.

He tilts his head to read Matthew's name tag. He hasn't gotten misgendered through Hell and back, but it's still a little show of solidarity.

"Thank you, Matthew Brown."

They smile at each other.

Maybe he can deal with being in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. As long as he gets his well-deserved, well-needed revenge.


End file.
